Consumers Best Buy! The Gaggia Classic is one of our best sellers for several reasons. Commercial grade quality: Rugged construction of heavy duty materials for longevity. High performance: Forged brass components to stabilize temperature with a three-way solenoid valve and independent expansion valve. Gaggia is in the process of rolling out a new Turbo-Frother wand replacing the metal frothing wand and sleeve. The Gaggia Classic turns anyone into a “Barista” in their own home. Includes two stainless

The Gaggia Carezza is one of the hottest products in the low 0 price range. No other espresso manufacturer will bring you the pump power, heating capacity, brass components and pure results at this price. Hi-tech performance combined with simplified fingertip control takes the guesswork out of making delicious espresso and cappuccino at home or in the office. Each cup will be creamy, tasty, robust and rich with flavor. Gaggia is in the process of rolling out a new Turbo-Frother wand replacing

10 thoughts on “Gaggia 14101 Classic Espresso Machine”

Review by Dominika Lepak for Gaggia 14101 Classic Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless SteelRating:
For the price, I’d give the espresso making part of this machine 5 stars. The portafilter and brew group are substantial and well-made. I’ve worked at two espresso shops with commercial machines, and the parts on this moderately priced Gaggia are nearly as heavy and substantial as the big multiple-thousands of dollars machines. I’ve had the machine for 4 days and have been brewing shots with Starbuck$ pods. The toggle switches are easy to use, the reservoir is easy to fill, and the shots are aromatic and full of crema every time. However, the steaming wand takes a star away from this machine. It does not rotate in every direction like the comparably priced Starbucks machine. This makes it hard to remove a cup full of frothed milk from under the wand without spilling. Also, the plastic frother contraption is silly. Actual frothing capability is pretty good, though the plain metal tips on the commercial machines produced finer microfroth, and were more fine-tuned to the trained barista’s hand. Overall, it’s a good-looking machine, and I’m satisfied with it for my main purposes – iced lattes and americanos, and straight double shots, all of which do not require use of the steaming attachment. This is a good entry-level machine that will brew you good shots, and look good on your countertop. However, I’m expecting to outgrow it and move up to an Isomac with more refined steaming capability within a few years.

Review by Wayne for Gaggia 14101 Classic Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless SteelRating:
When I got my Gaggia more than several decades ago, it was not yet called a Classic. It was called a Coffee Gaggia. About 20 years ago, some minor changes were made, and the unit was renamed Classic. The new “Coffee Gaggia” is not the same as this machine.

This machine has a robust build, and high quality parts. Its tank heats the water quickly, and to a proper temperature, and the pump is powerful enough to do the job properly. I would strongly recommend using filtered water, especially with a low mineral content, so that deposits do not build up in the tank.

My version has an all metal frothing wand, which does as good a job as the skills of the operator will allow for. The newer versions have a “turbo frother,” and an optional milk frother that will take the guess work out of frothing and place foamed milk directly into the cup. I can’t comment on these newer features, but perhaps they will allow a better job to be done by those with less experience.

The newer models are brushed stainless, while the original models had an appliance enamel finish. Since the old finish allowed water to penetrate under any scratches or imperfections in the finish, this was a particular problem near the portafilter holder and underneath the drip tray. The new version should retain its finish far longer, although the old one still does not show any wear in places that are visible with the machine assembled.

Minor differences are that the new machine has a more robust looking steam knob that was moved to the side, and the thermostat light, which indicated that the unit was heating, has been replaced with a “ready” light that is integrated into the coffee switch and signals the opposite.

In the time that I’ve had my machine, I’ve had only minor problems with it. My steam thermostat needed to be replaced once, and the light on my power switch stopped working. These were larger issues before the Internet made it easy to find parts, as these items are hard to find locally. The other problem is that if the unit is not used for extended periods, and the tank is allowed to dry out completely, and the water used was hard, then some parts are subject to clogging. The troubleshooting steps in the manual are not helpful for these sorts of problems. The machine can be disassembled for cleaning by somebody who is mechanically inclined, but unless you feel comfortable with appliance repair, you are better off avoiding the situation by using filtered water, and/or descaling regularly, especially before any long term storage.

The other “parts” issue is that the gasket for the filter basket should be considered a consumable part, and should be sold by every dealer as an accessory, rather than just by repair facilities. The machine really should have included an extra one since this is the only part that will definitely wear out with regular use. It might take a few years or longer, and is easy to replace, but it will wear out.

Overall, this is a well built machine that should last you many decades. Although it seemed expensive when I bought it, it has averaged out to about 6 cents a day to own it, which was well worth the price, and I’ll probably get another few decades out of it.

If you have used cheaper espresso makers, you will appreciate the robustness and quality of this unit. Features such as the three way solenoid controlled valve might be transparent to the user, but the lack of them become clear when you use a cheaper machine. This one just keeps going and going.

Review by C. Ortiz for Gaggia 14101 Classic Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless SteelRating:
I’ve used this machine extensively for the last 12 months. In every aspect, I learned a lot about making that still elusive perfect espresso: the bean, the grinding, the water, the temperature, the cleaning, the back flushing, the descaling, you name it. The purchase of this machine started a very rewarding journey into the unknown. From thermodynamics through agricultural techniques, I’ve read a lot. But only recently I started a new stream of Googling when I researched how to make a more thorough maintenance of the machine. I’m a chemical engineer, so by training, I know that machines need more than cosmetic cleaning to keep working.

And here is when the boiler issue comes along. Among the key components in any espresso machine, the boiler has obviously a very high importance. It’s here where a truly exceptional machine shows it’s quality. From the steam “disponsable” ones using stainless steel to the almost coffee bar quality solid brass boiler machines, the difference is astounding in terms of temperature stability and durability. There are cheaper machines that use aluminum instead of brass in the boiler. Like the Gaggia Classic. And that I didn’t know when I bought it. Aluminum you see, corrodes VERY fast. Even if it creates a self protecting layer of aluminum oxide when exposed to the elements, it DOES corrode and it DOES end it’s life in much faster way than a brass boiler. Why? simply because brass doesn’t corrode as fast, and if you need to descale or clean a brass boiler, you can be much more aggressive in what you use to do that cleaning.

So, my boiler is now showing significant amounts of corrosion. I used bottled water and cleaned the machine every week extensively, used recommended anti-scaling and detergent agents and followed every rule. But next year this machine is ready for a full boiler replacement. Unacceptable in my mind. Go for the Rancilio Silvia (brass boiler), because that’s the one I’m buying soon. It’s well worth the extra money.

Review by Teranika for Gaggia 14101 Classic Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless SteelRating:
The machine produces an extremely wonderful cup of espresso. It’s main and constantly irritating flaw is this turbo frother sleeve. It has too many pieces to clean, and worst of all, the sleeve does not remain securely attached to the the metal steam pipe. Several times I’ve had the frother explode off the machine in a cloud burst of half-steamed milk that sprayed all over the kitchen. I’ve had various other problems with this complicated design. In fact, the company provides a detailed, additional page of instructions on how to troubleshoot with the frother sleeve, which suggests to me that the company is already aware that the design is flawed. I have to ask the question: why not produce a simple, metal frother that doesn’t break and require such special care?

This is the second Gaggia machine that I have purchased this year (the previous was a full automatic with a faulty sensor), and this is the second Gaggia that has left me disappointed. I agree that the espresso quality is very good – but I remain underwhelmed for the prices I’ve paid, given the design flaws I’ve encountered.

*****

ADDENDUM: Three years on I still own this Gaggia, and I’ve grown accustomed to the frother. And when it works, it creates a darned excellent foam. If I could revise the stars – I’d likely boost my rating to a 3/4. You have to work for it, but the results are heavenly.

Review by J. Reiner for Gaggia 14101 Classic Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless SteelRating:
I started my espresso machine search with a review in Money magazine (of all places). In that article, the Breville 800ESXL was top rated, with the Gaggia Classic coming in second. The article rated the espresso quality of the Gaggia as better, but gave the top rating to the Breville based on the combination of quality *and* the fact that it cost about $100 less than the Gaggia. I jumped into Amazon to see what others said about the two machines. What turned me off about the Breville were the negative reviews about how the filter kept clogging, and how one person was ditching this machine and going to the Gaggia. As luck would have it, at that moment, the Gaggia machine was on sale on Amazon, by $100! So I get the machine that got the better all around reviews, for the same price as the other…a no brainer!

I’ve been very happy with the Gaggia. I admit that I’m still working on the proper mix of coffee grinding and tamping pressure, but right from the first cup (which had a perfect head of crema), I’ve been encouraged to expand my knowledge of the “science” of espresso, and feel that this machine is the right one to perfect my technique with. Unlike the Krups, this is a serious machine for people who *really* enjoy a good cup of espresso. It’s like the difference between people who “live to eat” vs. people who “eat to live”. If you’re just looking for a cup of strong coffee, throw an extra spoon of instant in your cup before you put the boiling water in. If you savor the intense taste of a perfectly brewed shot of espresso, stop here, do not pass “go”, buy this machine.

One heads up; the written instructions pretty much suck, so make sure you pop the c.d. into your computer first, and view it beginning to end…before you even start pulling all the parts out of the box. And in case you’re scratching your head wondering why they didn’t give you a power cord, it’s inside the water reservoir.

Review by N. Caine for Gaggia 35008 Carezza Espresso Machine, SilverRating:
This machine is nothing short of a steal for someone on a budget interested in a true espresso machine. The innards of this Gaggia are identical to every one of their models from this one up until the Gaggia Baby (which adds a solenoid pressure relief valve) which retails for around $450. The portafilter is the same commercial grade 58mm hunk of brass, the aluminum boiler is the same as the Gaggia boiler found in their far more expensive machines. There is simply no comparison between this model and any non-Italian made competitor, such as Krups.

That said, one ought to realize that they cannot produce true crema-laden espresso without a grinder capable of producing an even, fine espresso grind, coupled with freshly roasted beans. This machine ought to be paired with the Gaggia MDF grinder, a Rancilio Rocky, or a Mazzer Mini. For those on a budget, you might be able to get away with a Solis Maestro Plus or Capresso Infinity or Vaneli’s Maximo, but even these are barely up to the challenge. The Maestro and Infinity will be like driving a car in first gear: you’ll get espresso, but not much flexibility in improving your shots. The Maximo is better. Avoid other budget grinders (anything lower than a Gaggia MDF). Gagggia’s budget burr grinder (not the MDF), for example, is not up to the task.

Be aware that the price seems to fluctuate on Amazon, but it can typically be bought for just under $200 at the more famous espresso on-line places, and sometimes here at Amazon.

Review by Nickibockers for Gaggia 35008 Carezza Espresso Machine, SilverRating:
For yourself or for a good friend, this machine is the perfect purchase! A little more complicated than the machine I once had (the Krups Espresso Bravo), as well as being much better made, this Espresso machine makes espresso and lattes SO good, it’s worth the brief confusion. Using the Perfect Crema device was a little difficult at first. I guess the pinhole wasn’t fully punched through, but I used a small sewing needle to create a new hole, and now I have wonderful espresso! As a fellow coffee addict warned, this rubber disc should not have a large hole, as it needs to force the espresso through a much smaller opening, to create the perfect crema. And it does!

It gets a little hot, so don’t make more than 3 lattes in a row. Let it cool and then start the next one. Also, the clearance of the steaming wand is very short, so make sure you have a proper steaming pitcher and that it is filled only 1/2 full with milk/soymilk, otherwise it spills.

Don’t let the water run through the filter without a cup underneath when priming the unit – the drip tray is just for that: drips only!

And, the tamper is a bit flimsy, so tamp gently, or just go buy a nice one.

With these tips in mind, you will have a great time making espresso based drinks. Just be sure to use GOOD espresso and don’t skimp – Illy and Lavazza are the best and most recommended coffees for a quality espresso machine like this one.

I’m thoroughly addicted to the Gaggia Carezza. I haven’t gone one day without using it since I bought it. Plus, the price is excellent for this machine. Well, well invested in!!

Review by for Gaggia 35008 Carezza Espresso Machine, SilverRating:
I had read the early reviews on several espresso aficionado sites. Thos early reviews are good, but several of the reviewrs have updated their opinions and downgraded their ratings after owning the machine for 6 months or more. I feel the same way.

The internal build of the machine has some good specifications at this price range. When you start using it you can make very decent espresso.

But the problems start after a while. Most are related to design flaws which are still present even thought the internals have been around for three years. The flaws and problems are:

1) incredible amount of leaking. After four months or so my machine started leaking…it got worse and worse. I thought it was my machine only, but checking the forums I saw this was common. I broke down the machine, replaced several (expensive) gaskets and the problem came back in a month. You need a 2′ by 1.5′ tray under this machine on your counter.

2) height of steam wand and porta-filter. This is an insane design flaw. They are so low as to insure that it is impossible to use the foam wand without tilting back the machine. No standard milk foaming pitcher, or even the smallest ones, fit. The height of the brewing head is also so low that no standard cup fits. I am not talking about mugs, cups won’t fit. You have to use a small espresso demitasse, and then transfer. result: cold espresso and more spills.

3) broken portafilter handles. My portafilter handle broke after six months. I was suprised and blamed myself unitl I realized this is extremely common. One sees it on the fourms all the time, and in fact the sole parts distributer in the US lists the handle alone because of this known flaw. (the head is NOT all brass as claimed as the bolt connecting the head to the handle is cheap metal, corrodes, expands and breaks the plastic around it!)

The monopoly on parts replacement means this is a WHOPPER cost to repair. Indeed I ordered the plastic replacement for the handle (nearly $30 with shipping) and waited two months to find out it was back ordered due to demand! They told me my only choice was to replace the entire entire brewyead set (handle and portafilter) for over $55 shipped — all because of a commonly breaking piece of plastic that would cost about $1 to make! Gaggi is taking its customers for a ride on this. I don’t expect them to admit a clearly known flaw but the least they could do is not gouge price the needed part! (they are charging double the price for bread head set and even though the brew head measures a standard width you have to use theirs due to non standard twist lock.)

I replaced the whole brew head and the same part broke again after 8 months. It is made even cheaper than the original. I spent $55 shippled for the part and the flaw is still there! On top of that the plastic part alone, clearly listed because of the common breakage, is still “backordered.”

Conclusion: This machine seems like a great deal due to the fact that it uses similar internals as good Gaggia machines in the $300 to $400 range. But the savings is quite short lived in that the leaking is copious and you will need to replace parts at non standard prices (I checked similar gasket and other parts prices for other makers and they are way lower). You will spend a lot of money and time dealing with the flaws.

Review by Joel Collins for Gaggia 35008 Carezza Espresso Machine, SilverRating:
I have received two of these already, and both have had the same piece broken. If you hear plastic rattling around inside your machine, inspect it closely!

Review by Michael Aretsky for Gaggia 35008 Carezza Espresso Machine, SilverRating:
First off let me start by saying they don’t call me Mr. Research for nothing. I check re-check and then double check everything I do over and over and over till I know that I have found the best of the best that I can get for the money. So when I bought this machine I was sure that I was going to get what I was looking for. A good quality machine that made high quality espresso, with crema like every one tells me I should have…

From first view I was very happy with the unit, I purchased the “dark gray” model which is exactly what I thought it would be, BLACK. I have no idea whose idea of dark gray this is, but in any case…. Sure the machine was plastic on the outside, what isn’t now days? I’m no coffee snob, so I don’t expect my Mr. Coffee machine to be stainless steal, why should I expect that of my espresso machine? The most important thing to me is that the unit looks and feels like it will last. This machine has some weight behind it, and the Portafilter is a nice heavy brass unit like I see when I go to the restaurants for a good Cappuccino. The only thing that bothered me about the Portafilter was that they made this nice heavy brass thing with a little plastic piece snapped into the bottom. I haven’t had any trouble with it yet, and I don’t know if it’s replaceable if I do in the future, but when I “tamp” the coffee into the Portafilter I often wonder if I may brake it off pushing it against the counter. Gaggia says you should get about 30lbs of tamping on the unit. (I used a bathroom scale to test my tamping pressure before doing any real tamping..Like I said, I’m Mr. Research). I would have liked it better if the dispensing holes were made from the same molded brass as the rest of the Portafilter is. I would recommend that you spend the extra 30 bucks and purchase a nice conical shaped metal tamper that fits perfectly (58mm) to do your tamping. You’ll get a much better, even and accurate pressure then when using the cheap plastic one they give you with the machine.

I have read another review that talked about the handle being an odd size and shape, he said he had a big hand and that may be why, well I think that maybe he was right. I have a smaller (normal size) hand and the handle to this machine felt just fine in it when connecting it to the machine and using it to knock out the coffee from the filter basket. I suppose if I were going to spend more time with it, I would want something I could hold onto for hours, but since the above is all you do with the thing, why would this even be a concern for anyone???

I have read other reviews where people talk about how loud the pump is, well to them I say, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? First off, the pump is only on for about 20 or 30 seconds when you are actually extracting (cool word for dispensing) the espresso into your cup. My machine isn’t that loud at all. You want to hear a loud pump, get a “food saver” vacuum sealer, you’ll never complain about a loud espresso machine pump again. So for that one I say, GET OVER IT.

It took me about 3 cups of espresso before I got the idea on how to make a good drink. You know, like the ones you see in all the restaurants and instructional videos (if you can find those like I did). Speaking of which, Gaggia has a CD that comes with the machine you can play in your computer. It didn’t play on the DVD player so don’t bother with that… This disk was a VERY GOOD source of information on what everything is, how it works, what a good cup of espresso should look like, what to do if it doesn’t and how to clean up your mess when you’re all done. You almost don’t have to read the direction book that comes with it if you just watch this video. I wish everything had video instructions like this thing did. My mom would finally be able to set the clock on the VCR.

Now for the milk frothing. The only real complaint that I have with this machine is; the steam stem is a little bit too low on the machine. Unless you use a “smaller” frothing pitcher (like 10 or 15oz type) then you may have a little trouble getting the pitcher out from under the “wand”. It’s kind of funny actually, they show you in the instructional how to froth the milk, then at the end of the video when the guys done he never shows you how he gets that full pitcher out… Obviously if you don’t try to froth enough milk for more then about 2 lattes at a time you should have no trouble getting the pitcher out from underneath the wand. Another problem with the low wand is that when you push the wand back over the drip tray it doesn’t go completely over the tray… It tends to hit the drip tray before stowing away into the underneath side next to the “group head” (thing the Portafilter connects to).

The positive side of all this is, this machine has PLENTY of heat and steam to make the milk both HOT and frothy. I’ve read a lot of people complain about how their machines don’t heat up very well and the espresso or milk is too cold. This is NOT going to be a problem with this machine from what I have seen. If you’re not careful you may even get that milk too hot for the taste. I don’t know about you, but I don’t need my espresso to boil as it pours into the glass, a nice steam is all I need to see. Learning to froth is quite easy, and this machine makes it as simple as it can get. Just do what the instructional video shows you to, and in no time you’ll be a regular Barista.

Some people have complained about the extra dripping from steam wands and Portafilter assemblies after brewing and steaming are done. For this issue I say, If you don’t expect that when using something that has water passing through coffee grinds is going to drip after it sits for a second, or after steaming milk, there wont be a little bit of milk left in the wand to drip out, then you’re dreaming. Everything drips a little. For the most part this machine is very good at cutting off any excess dripping when you turn pumps, switches and knobs off that you need to during the espresso making process.

There is no cup warmer on this unit. This hasn’t been a problem for me yet. I have found that if I really require my cup to be warmed first then I dispense some hot water into the cup, let it sit for 10 seconds, then pour it out before extracting my espresso.

Finally, all in all I was very happy with the product that I purchased and I feel as if my research paid off. The last single shot of espresso that I made came out like heaven and the milk frothing was perfect with almost zero practice. If you’re like me, and just want to get a good machine with a nice professional fell that makes a good cup of espresso for a sweet price.. then this machine is hands down the best for the price.